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Tilia americana
| Throughout the Algonquin Highlands in late June and early July, you may smell a sweet, haunting fragrance in the air. It probably is coming from the Basswood (also known as American Linden tree), that grows to heights of up to 40 metres, with a trunk 60 to 90 cm in diameter, and a rounded crown. The bark is lined with large "S" shaped ridges going up the trunk. The Basswood prefers moist soils of valleys and uplands; in hardwood forests. The Basswood has a fairly rapid growth rate, provides plentiful shade and has fragrant flowers. Its leaves are heart-shaped, 10-15 cm long, 7.5-10 cm wide, dark green with extremely shiny undersides. The flowers are tiny, with 5 yellowish-white petals. When the flowers go to seed they form small nutlets that contain 1 to 2 seeds each, clustered beneath large leafy wing bracts which act as parachutes to carry the seeds to the ground. The fruit is woody and about the size of a pea. The inner bark is fibrous and can be twisted and woven into cords, ropes and matting. Native Americans of the Northeastern tribes used it to make rope, mats, bags, and footwear. As its wood is soft and easy to work with, it is favored by woodcarvers. It has been used to carved masks, ship's figureheads and cigar-store Indians. Today it is used for broom handles, beehive frames, piano sounding boards and certain parts of guitars. Its fruit are eaten by chipmunks and other small rodents. White-tailed deer and cottontail rabbits eat the bark and sprouts during the winter. Old Basswoods are very frequently hollow, making excellent nesting and den sites for many kinds of birds and mammals. |
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